Ro-Kyu-Bu! – 04

Oh Maho, your innocence is endearing. You go and give your precious thing to Subaru. I would’ve loved to see his reaction if you did.

I did consider the possibility that the girls might lose the game with a close score and get further consideration for gym time, but I really like this heartfelt win much better. Subaru’s underhanded tactic with Hinata wasn’t even that bad, drawing only a single foul. Of course, one could easily cough that up to Takenaka not falling for it, being the star player that he is, and responding with his A-game. (“Innocent charm THIS!“) It still doesn’t change the fact that the boys lost to a girls team that was mostly comprised of beginners, which makes me question exactly how good they really are. Believability went a bit out the window in that regard, since I would image a boys team that won a district tournament would fair better even if they did underestimate them.

It’s no secret that the series is about Tomoka and the others though, so what I did find odd was Subaru’s decision to stop being their coach after helping them win the game. I mean, they did surprise him even more after Tomoka elected to pass to Maho for a buzzer beater to win the game. What the heck happened to “elementary kids are the best”!? The fifty consecutive free throw wager that Miho came up with felt like it was just needlessly testing Tomoka’s resolve too. Subaru knew it was a pretty mean thing to do to her — giving her a false sense of hope that he might still coach them — yet didn’t really do anything to stop her just because he got to stare at her shooting form every day. I realize deep down inside, he wanted to see Tomoka succeed, but I can’t help but see him as a bit of a jerk for not just agreeing to coach them after seeing how hard she was trying. In hindsight, it would’ve been better if he gave her a time limit rather, so she doesn’t keep clinging onto hope.

After many, many, many attempts, Tomoka finally succeeds and Subaru decides to give her the nickname “Shiny Gift”. Obviously he never caught wind of the conversation where Saki questioned if Maho realized what she was saying. I still think the “Shooting Star” idea I had sounds better, but at least they didn’t decide to go with “Shiny Flower” or something. That would be bad. Real bad. On that note, Ro-Kyu-Bu sure likes to play up the lolicon misunderstandings, with both Airi and Tomoka this time around, making me wonder if the author is trying to depict how things can develop innocently. Whatever the case, I just laugh at most of the scenarios instead of reading too much into them, which Subaru usually sets himself up for anyway. I do feel bad for Aoi, since she’s trying to get under Subaru’s radar and losing out to Tomoka. If only she were to join the high school basketball team like Subaru suggested. He clearly has a thing for sporty girls.

Production-wise, it was nice to see things rebound a fair bit this episode, both in the characters’ faces and the overall animation. The drama also felt close to episode two and things ended somewhat befittingly with the girls going full-out offense with school swimsuits and maid aprons at the end. Now that’s what you call a trap. The kind that lands you in prison!

I’ve lose a lot of hp after watching this episode.
If the Women Japan Soccer Team won the World Cup due to Captain Tsubasa…
There is a slight possibility that the Female Japanese Basketball Team may win the world basketball championship in 2040.

I thought the boys coach was a little dense too but then again if he wasn’t taking them seriously even toward the end it could be he was just stubbornly dismissive. I would expect he’ll be quite ruthless given a second chance, perhaps a rematch toward the end of the season. I’d actually rather see them play another girls team and beat em though.

Oh the corn of it all. That boy’s coach probably never touched a basketball in his life, unless we’re talking about one making contact with his face :D

The lolicon crap they’re spewing is just a big old load of bull. The last time I watched this show, Subaru was still a kid. If all that silly stuff that Miho shoved down their throats got serious, as if is could, then the lovely bloaks in my neck of the world would have no problem with Subaru going out with one of them, even Hinata – but this whole anime is based off of that being taboo isn’t it. Tsk tsk.

Sarcasm aside, this show is contantly trying to question Subaru’s drive to coach/play basketball just because of lolicon BS, but he was completely shoved into the situation via the wimpy-angsty male hormone. So far, 3 things need to happen in order for this to be a masterpiece: Subaru’s advisor needs his ass kicked, Miho needs a boyfriend, & Subaru X Tomoka – whether it be playing BB together more often, dating, or going ‘full court’.

From a basketball perspective, it may not be that surprising that the boys lost. I know skill plays a huge part in basketball, but Airi is just too tall. It is still weird that she got good all of a sudden, but sometimes height just prevails. As we saw in the previous episode, her height caused the boys into double teaming Airi, leaving one of the two shooters open initially until they realized that the girls can shoot. They also had to focus on Tomoka in this episode. Frankly I think it was a stupid decision by the coach to triple team Tomoka, because this leaves either Airi or one of the other two shooters open, which was what happened. They should’ve just put a double team on Tomoka and have the rest act as help defence if needed. But meh~ Hope there will be another basketball game played in future episodes :)

This is a very good point. Airi’s almost comically huge for a 12 year old girl, she’s got a centimeter or two on Subaru, and he’s an accomplished high school basketball player, so he’s unlikely to be “short”.

I really wish they’d told us her height in her stat screen in this episode’s eyecatch.

Even in the manga (and possibly the light novel, though I wouldn’t be able to read it fully), Airi’s height is labeled as “???”, though it’s blatantly obvious that she’s within 1-2 cm of Subaru’s height, which sorta defeats the purpose, unless we’re led to believe that her height changes on a daily basis.

What is wrong if he is from seventh grade and they are in sixth grade? that does not make lolicon if all are 1 year apart, I think, or am I wrong. Not that I’m in that situation, but is that in Japan as well?
Por cierto, me disculpo si mi ingles es malo, tuve la ayuda de un traductor, solo soy bueno traduciendo pero escribiendo soy pesimo.

Hell, when I was 16 my silly parents tried to screw me with a mock miai – to a 12yo. They did that kind of crap in Sai back then. but I met her cousin that way (yeah it’s one of those happily ever after thingies & they did have another bloody miai when they saw that I had an interest in the cousin, yeesh).

The girl was cute and all but I really didn’t have an interest in Japanese girls back then (which is probably why they had it in the first place) & being fairly tall wasn’t the reason behind it.

That girl was terribly mature for 12, she could talk about anything. Bah, she’s a cousin to me now & her mouth still fires off. A strange American dude hand-in-hand with a small Japanese girl in the park that day didn’t seem weird to anyone but the picture I still have from it is just so damn WRONG.

They might be trying to test the ‘lolicon’ waters with this anime but don’t believe a bit of it, here, there, or anywhere for that matter. Everyone knows that girls mature faster than boys anyway.

hmm, I’m pretty sure you are trying to brag that you once has a miai with a 12 years old but i’ll leave it at that. So Subaru is 16 huh.. Frankly 4 year different won’t make much different at all. In fact if Subaru Act 2 years later, it would probably view as fine society couple.

ooops!, I was wrong with school grades, but is not lolicon having a relationship with girls four years younger than you, wherever a healthy relationship. With four years apart there should be no problem while it is not a stalker, they at any age is wrong.

The prison I gladly go to after 5 amazing loli. But seriously why the heck is Subaru being such a tease, to both moka and aoi. But you know their age is not that big a difference, just give another 2-3 years and society will view them as normal couple instead of lolicon. Speaking of lolicon, sure are glad we don’t lack of them this season. (Yune is the best)

Just the fact that the girls ‘didn’t’ run to their coach the moment they won, instead decided to hug each other in that moment spoke volumes for me. This isn’t a full out lolicon show, swimsuits and aprons aside, of course.

Well i thought it before maybe but i’m thinking for sure we got a ticking Aoi bomb here. One look at Subaru the way he gazes at Tomoka’s jump shot and she is not going to be very understanding I think. then again you never know. She’s not getting much satisfaction from Subaru since he still treats her as another guy almost. Although there was some pantsu reaction. lol Stripes….

They actually won… wow, I know Tomoka is amazing and the girls were training like mad, but that’s friggen sad!! Weren’t the boys supposed to be really good? They were training for like months before all this, right? And they get beat by a team that was training for three days?! It’s true, the boys either sucked or the girls are just too awesome! I was expecting the boys, or at least Takenaka, to congratulate them, but no, poor sportsmanship to the end.

It’s getting pretty interesting to see where Tomoka x Subaru goes. You know Aoi’s gonna find out at some point. I could see her challenging Tomoka to a match, getting her ass kicked, and then getting out of the way though. Doubt it’ll be anything TOO dramatic.

while I do find it cute, I prefer if they tone down the lolicon to avoid deterring the other viewers.
subaru should be a bit more like those dense harem leads, or at least dont blush easily since I think he blushes too quickly around tomoka.

Anyone who have actually lived not pertaining to NEET-dom will find this lolicon stuff ridiculous. However, while I definitely wish they stop the lolicon bull, I’m rather glad Subaru is well aware of his situation, although the reasoning behind it is BS. Most other harem leads are so bloody brainless you can hardly stand to watch them, cookie-cutters.

…And on the other note, I was just an angsty teen being completely controlled by my parents at that time & I couldn’t enjoy the situation no matter how you saw it. Hell, I didn’t even know she was 12 until she started talking – & wouldn’t stop :D She wasn’t in Airi’s league of heightness, but she did come up to my waist (no jokes plz) which was a feat in itself for 12, most girls in my HS class barely did that.

The bestest scene, in my opinion, was Subaru’s “puroposu” to Airi. I’m surprised you didn’t mention it. Hands on shoulders… passionate feelings… “I think you are suteki!”… Wow, no wonder Maho and Saki thought he was declaring his love to Airi, haha.

Tomoka’s reaction was the most interesting, though. Did I misread it or that was MAD BURNING JEALOUSY at what seemed as if Subaru liked Airi and not her!? ^.^